Freeman- I fully agree that the Speedster (and almost any 356) is a fun companion for the Dino. I bought my Dino and my Speedster in '74 about a month apart. The first picture shows what my tiny garage in 1975. In the driveway was a 1974 Carrera. My hobby for over 30 years was restoring 356's - I always drove a 356 from May to Nov on the East Coast. As much as I loved it -I sold the Speedster about 10 years back because I have much more fun driving my '61 Cab which I built as a autocross car in '88 (and drove on our honeymoon). My '61 is my everyday car- and with Hoosiers it is one of the most fun cars up here in the mountains of WNC. Kat drives a '58 Sunroof Coupe I restored for her when we got married 27 years ago. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I think one reason the 356 makes a good companion car to the Dino is that it is so different. It is also a generation behind the Dino, which also provides good contrast.
Yes, 356's are really relaxing and casual to drive. Much like VW Beetles. The design is very approachable and makes people smile. This is my other '56, a sunroof coupe. One year only Aquamarine Blue Metallic with red interior. Freeman Image Unavailable, Please Login
Freeman- It was what I called Crab**** yellow (I was living in Maryland at the time ) with the 911 number "Safety Strips" down the front hood. The only other guys who thought that was cool was the drivers of Trans Ams who had the Eagle on their front hood. It was a light yellow. I think the '56 sunroof coupe is one of the best of the 356 coupes. I assume that yours still has the V sunroof from the early "pre-A" ( a term I hate which I would rail against when I wrote articles for the 356 Registry back in the day). I owned two early '52 "Split Window cabs which I felt were the most pure of the 356 design- but the '56 coupe or cab were the best combination of purity of design and fun to drive. It is hard to describe how fun a well sorted 356 is to drive. I have driven show car 356's which often look great but do not drive like an original for some reason- so the owner only has a small taste of what their 356 should feel like. When I drove an original '56 Coupe for the first time I was amazed how it ticked off every box. It set a standard for my restorations. When done correctly a 356 moves effortlessly down the road.
Mark, There's something special about the first T1 "Bee-Hive" 356's. I love the look of all the details. Driving a 356 is like sailing or flying a kite. You don't fight it. You figure out how to harness the energy. Like the Dino, I love the size and how light and nimble they are. Your wife's '58 is gorgeous! Here's a shot of the "V" sunroof. Freeman Image Unavailable, Please Login
Freeman, the color is gorgeous, and the "V" sunroof is indicative of great imagination on the Porsche design staff. You have quite an enviable stable! Fred
Fred, Thanks. The "V" sunroof panel is left over from the previous Pre-A bent window coupes. They used them until the beginning of '57. What I like about them is they open by just rotating a knob and sliding the panel back. Very few moving parts and not complex. I bought my cars when they were all somewhat affordable (still a lot to me). I could never afford them now! Freeman
Freeman, I love your blue Porsche with red interior. Very good color combination. Here's a photo from 1982 with my "new" 246 GT. The Fiat 131 Mirafiori was my daily driver. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Fred/Freeman--- as you can tell I also bought mine when they "affordable" but then again when I bought my Dino and Speedster I was making all of $6000 a year as a government engineer. I was a very cheap date-- in "you want to split the cost of gas and drive around the beltway tonight?" In '75 I had a big step up to $8000 per year thus the sugar scoop Carrera. I rode a 500 Titan from VA to to SF in the spring of '75. When I got back I went directly to a BMW dealer and he gave me a $300 discount if I would buy the Daytona Orange R90S because everyone wanted the smoke grey-- made it even more "affordable". Freeman- what color was your '74?
A Lamborghini is an unlikely complement to the Dino as they share no connection, except perhaps for the rivalry between the brand and Ferrari. However, the other month I took delivery of a Huracan 580-2 (the rear-wheel-drive-only model) and, in the course of getting to know it, began to appreciate a strong connection in terms of design and attitude between it and the Stratos, notwithstanding its Dino motor and gearbox. That is not surprising, I suppose, because the Stratos and the first Lamborghini supercars shared the same designers and engineers. And since the Stratos and Dino are related, the Huracan fits in. That was not my justification for ordering the Huracan, of course. I should add that the familial link between the 458 Italia and the Dino are quite apparent to me. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Andres, Congratulations on your new acquisition! The color compliments the beautiful lines of the body. It has to be one of the luckiest of its kind, as it has incomparable stable mates!Best regards, Fred
Parked next to my 1971 Dino (01458) is my 1954 Jaguar XK120SE (S676018). Neither will ever be for sale as long as I live.
The XK120 is a good companion car to the Dino, because it is quite beautiful too and offers a different driving experience. It is from another era. At the local club meeting (the Manila Sports Car Club's) the other month, the featured car was the W113 Mercedes. There was a great presentation on the differences between models, which was very interesting to me. There were several good examples, including this very original 280SL. Even the paint is original. Andres Image Unavailable, Please Login
